Holy Fire Saturday
Last year in Palestine I wrote my blog posts ahead of time so I could roll them out during Holy Week on time. I had taken many picture of the Separation Wall and decided that I would not say too much about Easter but just post some of my photos that seemed most hopeful.
For Holy Saturday when Jesus descends into hell to liberate those imprisoned there I showed this photo from the Bethlehem wall near the car checkpoint. I felt this monstrous creature was a good image of this dark moment.
Then on Holy Saturday I traveled to Beit Sahour with some of my fellow EAs to watch the holy fire come to the Greek Orthodox Church there. I was completely taken aback by the scene of merriment, dancing in the streets, and excitement, even people drinking beer out of paper cups. It was a kind of New Orleans street festival with a parade of people carrying oil lamps and candles. Here are some of my pictures from last year’s celebrations. Note to scout playing the bagpipe. Vestiges of another imperial time.
So what is this holy fire you are wondering about that would make Christians take to the street in such in joyous celebration before Easter Sunday? Let me share what I know as it is quite a miraculous story.
The Holy Fire is the most sacred miracle of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It has taken place at the same time, same place, in the same manner every year for centuries. Some trace it back to the Turkish Empire in the 13th century other even further back.
The miracle takes place at the Church of the Resurrection inside in the Holy Sepulcher or Jesus’ tomb. The event is part theater, part worship. The Christian leaders reenact Jesus being locked in the tomb. They even have local authorities, in this case Israelis, play the part of the Roman soldiers who go into the tomb to make sure the disciples cannot enter and steal the body or claim he has risen. How fitting to have Israel’s imperial soldiers now play the part of Rome’s imperial soldiers.
Pilgrims start streaming into the church on Good Friday often camping out until the morning. There is much singing and dancing and praying all morning until the church leaders move toward the tomb for the reenactment of the drama.
Then the Patriarch crawls into the tomb on his knees alone and prays and chants until the stone lights up. It apparently gives off a blueish light, which then turns into a column of light that then becomes fire.
He exits the tomb with two candles: one for the Armenian Church and the other for the Coptic Church. Hanging oil lights are said to light themselves and even pilgrim’s candles. The light is spread from one person to another, candle by candle. It goes directly to Bethlehem (via a taxi) and then all over Palestine and the world.
The source of the light comes from beyond but it can be passed one to another. Let us join our Orthodox brothers and sisters in celebrating the light of the resurrection, the light of hope in a dark world that can often feel like a tomb. Let us pass the light from one to another like the way we pass the peace. Our world needs both the light and the peace.
To see the Holy Fire ritual look at this video:
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